Glacial System Breakdown

• Inputs: The things that add to the glacier, like snow, avalanches, debris, heat, and meltwater. Imagine a giant ice cream cone being sprinkled with toppings!
• Storage: The ice is the main part, but there's also some added crunch with debris, moraine, and meltwater.
• Outputs: The stuff that leaves the glacier, like ablation (melting of snow and ice), and sublimation (ice turning into vapor). Think of it like ice cream melting on a hot day!

Glacial Movement

• Advancing: Glacier grows (Accumulation > Ablation).
• Retreating: Glacier shrinks (Accumulation < Ablation).
• Steady: Glacier stays the same (Accumulation = Ablation).
• Real-world example: The Rhône glacier is in negative regime, so it's thinning and retreating.

Areas of Glaciers

• Accumulation Area: Usually up high, where the glacier grows.
• Ablation Area: Down at the snout, where the glacier gets thinner.

Desertification

• Natural Changes: Climate changes, like increased aridity, can make deserts expand or contract.
• Fixed Dunes: These are like the gentle areas of the desert, with some vegetation, thanks to over 150 mm of rain.
• Bare Dunes: These are the rough and tough parts, only found in areas with less than 150 mm of rain.
• Real-world example: Sahara Desert was once wetter. Can you believe it was once like a vacation spot by the lake?

Life in Extreme Environments

• Hot and Cold: Some places are like a freezer, others a furnace, and some even like a rainforest!
• Rich and Poor: Money can affect how communities cope with extreme conditions. Indigenous people adapt naturally, while richer communities might use technology like air conditioning.
• Jobs: Farming, mining, fishing, and tourism. Life in extreme places isn't always so extreme after all!